World Fisheries Day observed globally

Sangeeta Nair

Nov 21, 2017 15:44 IST

World Fisheries Day observed globally

21 November: World Fisheries Day

World Fisheries day was celebrated across the world on 21 November 2017.

The day is celebrated annually by the fishing communities through rallies, workshops, public meetings, cultural programs, dramas, exhibition, music show and demonstrations to highlight the importance of maintaining the world's fisheries.

Aim

The day aims to highlight the critical importance of water to human lives and the lives it sustains, both in and out of water.

It aims to address issues and problems resulting in the depletion of fish stocks and move towards finding solutions.

Background

According to a recent United Nations study, more than two-thirds of the world's fisheries have been overfished or are fully harvested and more than one third are in a state of decline because of factors such as the loss of essential fish habitats, pollution and global warming.

Significance of the day

• Fish is a significant part of the diets of people around the world, particularly those living near water bodies.

• A number of traditional societies and communities solely depend on the occupation of fishing to run their families.

• This is why a majority of human settlements, whether small villages or big cities, are situated in close proximity to water bodies.

• The proximity of human dwelling has had an adverse effect on the fish population. Run-offs and domestic and industrial activities have led to severe coastal pollution.

• This has resulted in depletion of fish stocks in the immediate vicinity, forcing the fishermen to fish farther away from their traditional grounds.

• Overfishing and mechanization has also had a massive effect on the fish population. Their number has gone down majorly due to factory vessels, bottom trawling and other means of unsustainable fishing methods.

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